And So Kaoru Met Him
by Mamabug
Summary: Kaoru didn't have time to breathe. He certainly didn't have time for love, despite all the well meaning meddling of his family. And then, fate dropped the perfect guy right in his path. A KaoruXOC omake for another fic that works as a stand-alone, posted as a one-shot in honor of Pride month. Takes place post-canon. Rated T for profanity and suggestive themes.


**A/N:** This is an Omake I wrote for my story Finding Home. I'm posting it as a one-shot to celebrate Pride month as it also works as a stand-alone story and appeals to a different audience. What you need to know - this takes place after the events of the Manga. The twins are twenty-two and the year is around 2015. Prior to the start of the story, Tamaki was killed in an auto-accident and Haruhi left Tokyo and her friends without further contact.

This is the first M/M romance I have ever written so I hope I managed to do all right. Any mistakes I may have made about the gay dating scene, the fashion industry, or New York city are a result of bad Google-fu.

All rights and credit for OHSHC and its characters belong to the amazing Bisco Hatori.

* * *

 _ **January**_

"Kao! Kao, wake up! We're going to be late."

"Whrfg!" Kaoru's jerked his head up off the desk, his hands flailing about for his latest sketches. "Lower the hem three-quarter inch and lose the contrast color on the sleeves!" he shouted to nobody.

Hikaru collapsed against the door of Kaoru's room in a heap of laughter. "Right. I think you have officially hit the 'so-stressed-your-delirious' mark."

"I'm fine." Kaoru ran a hand through hair half-plastered to his face. "I just needed a nap."

"Dude, you have a post-it note stuck to your cheek."

The over-worked designer plucked the offending item from his skin with a huff while his brother nearly doubled over in amusement. "Shit. Maybe I do need a break – not that I'll get one today. Why did Mom have to pick the month before fashion week to do another 'doppelganger' photo shoot."

"Maybe _because_ it's the month before fashion week? You know she wants the ads to be in the same magazines the reviews are in. Or you would if you had any brain-space left to think about anything except for your own show." Hikaru walked over and rapped his knuckles on the back of Kaoru's head. "Stop being grumpy, it'll be fun. We don't get to play 'which one is Hikaru' that much anymore."

Kaoru rolled his shoulders backwards to ease the crick in his upper back. Maybe being mistaken for each other _would_ be amusing instead of tiresome for a change. It wasn't like it happened very often anymore. Since moving to New York three years ago, they'd cultivated a whole host of differences. Different hair. Different clothes. Different careers. These days, to look alike, they had to plan for it.

To advertise this year's fall line, Mom wanted something splashy and an updated variation on her legendary 'doppelganger' ad campaign fit the bill. The twins were as identical as ever in face and body so all it took was getting the same haircut - a long undercut which could be slicked back for a startup tech company president or spiked dramatically for an up-and-coming designer – and even their mother wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

"Eh, not like I could say no anyway." Kaoru stood up, stretching his arms up over his head and then bending back to crack his spine. "I just really need the time to work on finishing the show."

"I've seen the designs, Kao – they're solid. At this point you are only second-guessing yourself." Hikaru's lips twitched and eyes gleamed mischievously. "Besides, I don't think it's really the shoot that has you stressed out, is it?"

Kaoru rubbed his face with his hands and groaned. "Gods, did you have to remind me? I was hoping I could pretend to forget about it." Grasping the hem of his t-shirt he pulled it over his head and began stripping off the rest of his clothes on his way to the adjoined bathroom.

With their customary lack of regard for each other's privacy, Hikaru followed. "Like Mom would let you get away with that."

Turning the water on as hot as it would go, Kaoru slid into the shower. Bending his head, he let the spray soak into his hair and run down his body in hopes the boiling-to-the-point-of-pain temperature would clear up his fatigue. "Why is it always _me_ she sets up on blind dates?"

"Because Ageha's too young and I'm an unrepentant man-whore." Hikaru busied himself playing around with the wide array of hair and skin product Kaoru had accumulated in his medicine cabinet. He pumped a dollop of face wash on the back of one hand and rubbed it in. "Face it, Kao, you are her only hope for adorable, photogenic grand-babies - even if you end up adopting them from Ethiopia or Cambodia or whatever country the celebs are sourcing them from this year."

With another groan, Kaoru leaned forward until his head thunked against the shower wall. He didn't have time for another one of Mom's attempts to pair him off with a 'nice young man – good family and soooo talented.' He barely had time to breathe, let alone date. And to date seriously? Might as well ask him to make fanny packs look anything but lame.

But he'd do it anyway, because he knew damn well he was lucky. When he'd finally come out to his family, Dad had hugged him, Mom had asked if he needed to talk about it and then set him up with three 'nice young men' she knew, and Hikaru? Hikaru hadn't even batted an eye.

~oOoOo~

 _ **Three years prior, November**_

" _Oi, Kaoru! Aren't you done with your assignment yet? I'm hungry." Hikaru flopped backwards onto his brother's bed, bouncing some of the pillows to the floor._

 _Kaoru sighed and closed his laptop. "Yeah, just finished," he lied._

 _He'd finished an hour ago. The rest of the time had been spent wavering back and forth over whether today he would go through with it as planned. Whether he'd finally_ _tell the person closest to him the secret which had been weighing him down for months._

 _For the longest time, things like 'boys or girls' hadn't mattered. Their world had been too narrow to even let a friend in, let alone anyone more significant than that. When they'd finally started to look outside of that bubble, Kaoru realized he was encountering more questions than answers. But the year in Boston had been a revelation for the younger Hitachiin - he'd discovered and come to terms with a number of things about himself._

 _One of them was that he felt no need to proclaim_ anything _. Not yet._

 _He wasn't afraid - all the people he cared about would accept him for who he was. They'd done it already just by taking the time to understand where he differed from his clone. Most of the rest wouldn't be surprised - half of them were already under the illusion he was an_ uke. _The other half just didn't know the term. And if they disapproved? Well, he'd never really given two shits for their opinion anyway._

 _No, it wasn't fear. It was that he wasn't willing to take the step that would alter the central truth of his life._

 _As long as he could remember, he had been different from everyone around him. Everyone but one. His identity had never been rooted in being an artist or rich or gay or Japanese or in_ anything _but being a twin. Part of a matched set. Perfectly identical to anyone who wasn't them, totally unique to each other._

 _Even as that started to change, as they started to grow into individuals, they were still alike. Both creative, playful, quick-witted, passionate, loyal - Hikaru was 10% more mischievous. Kaoru was 10% more sincere. But those were just variations on a theme. As much as he'd always wanted for people to realize they weren't the same, he'd never wanted people to think of them as_ different _. He'd been content to leave things as they were._

 _Until, suddenly, he wasn't._

 _The loss of Tamaki and Haruhi, the heart and soul of their little family, hit everyone differently. For Kaoru, it had meant waking up to the fact that life gave you no guarantees. There were only a few precious years to live the life you wanted. To be the person you wanted. To love who you wanted._

 _And then he_ had _become afraid - because for Hikaru, the loss had come hard._

 _Turning in his desk chair, Kaoru could see the dark circles under his brother's eyes and the pasty skin tone representing another night spent in a haze of alcohol and meaningless sex. Hell, they'd only turned nineteen this year. Hikaru shouldn't even have been able to get into half the places he'd had to be pulled out of._

 _For three months, Kaoru'd agonized over whether telling Hikaru would cause his older brother to spiral even further downward. But he was done waiting. Done denying himself for the sake of his brother. This wasn't about giving up on a girl (who looked like a boy) that he'd only have broken up with eventually._ This _was about doing what was needed for him, maybe for both of them, to move forward. To grow up. To embrace life._

 _Kaoru sucked in a deep breath and exhaled it on a sigh. "Hika, before we go… I… I wanted to talk to you."_

 _Hikaru's head turned in his direction. "What's up, Kao? You sound kinda serious. It's freaking me out."_

 _Kaoru shrugged one shoulder. "It is serious, I guess."_

 _His brother bolted upright, twisting to face him. "Oh God, did you get someone pregnant?!" Hikaru's eyes bugged out in panic. "No, wait - did_ I _get someone pregnant?! I mean, I think I've been careful and I don't know why you'd know before me, but…"_

" _Nobody's pregnant!" Kaoru shouted over him. He rubbed at his forehead to drive out the tension building behind his eyes. "Actually, it's almost the exact opposite of that." Hikaru was still staring at him, fear in his eyes. "It's… well…" He forced himself to stop stammering. Best to just get it over with quickly. "Well… I'm gay."_

 _All traces of anxiety disappeared instantly from his brother's face. "Yeah, I figured." Hikaru stood up and headed for the door. "Let's eat. Do you want Thai or Vietnamese? I feel like something spicy."_

 _Kaoru stared after his brother, shell-shocked. "Wait!" Leaping out of his chair, he grabbed a jacket from the closet and raced down the hallway after his twin. "What do you mean 'you figured?'"_

 _Hikaru stopped and Kaoru nearly ran into him. Turning around, he rolled his eyes at his younger twin. "Really? You know…" He waved his fingers back and forth between them. "Twins? Shared a womb? Together 24x7x365 until we were sixteen? Any of that ring a bell?"_

" _Yeah, but still…"_

" _Oh shit! Were you…" Guilt twisted Hikaru's expression and he gripped his brother's shoulder. "Kao, were you worried about telling me? You know I love you, right? Gods, I was supposed to be all sensitive and crap and I blew it, didn't I."_

" _You kinda did. But I'm used to it, jerk." Kaoru laughed and flicked his brother in the forehead. "I know you love me. I just wasn't sure how you'd take a difference between us this big."_

" _Idiot. That's not big." Hikaru squeezed Kaoru's shoulder and turned back to head for the door. "Deciding your ambition in life is to be an accountant would be big. Getting a douchey tattoo on your junk would be big." They exited their apartment, locking the door behind them. "Realizing you prefer to bone dudes? Not that big."_

 _Sometimes, you just had to glomph your older brother._

" _Oi! We dropped the twincest act three years ago." Tousling his little brother's hair, Hikaru wrapped his arm around the other's shoulders and pulled him to the elevator. "C'mon, I'm starving. Besides, if we stand here much longer we'll give the_ fujoshi _living_ _next door anemia. You know she peers out the peephole every time she hears our door open."_

 _They took the stairs down to the street and emerged onto a sidewalk thronging with people despite the late hour. For a graduation present, their parents had gifted them with a 2LDK mansion in a trendy Tokyo neighborhood. The commute to their design school was a bit far, but the area suited them – young, vibrant, filled with one-of-a-kind boutiques and ethnic restaurants, and never seeming to sleep. After a quick debate, they settled on the Pho place a three block walk from the apartment._

" _Hika, you know I' m going to need more than 'I figured' from you." Kaoru shoved his hands into his coat pocket to ward off the November chill. "Twin telepathy isn't enough to explain it."_

 _They stopped at a crosswalk to wait for the light and Hikaru cupped his hands, blowing on them for warmth. "I guess it was lots of little things that just added up over time. Like how you were never interested in any of the girls we hosted."_

" _N_ _either were you."_

" _No, I never wanted to_ date _them, but I was_ interested _in them." He smiled wickedly and wagged his eyebrows. "Or at least certain parts of them. But you never seemed to notice their bodies except in a fashiony way. And then there was how every costume you designed for Mori-sempai was missing a shirt."_

" _Well yeah – I mean, we are talking about Mori-sempai here. Who wouldn't want to see him shirtless?"_

" _Point." HIkaru sighed longingly. "I think I'd be willing to go 'bi' for that man's abs." Kaoru punched him in the shoulder right as the 'walk' sign lit up. Hikaru laughed, grabbed his brother's arm by the elbow and dragged him onward. "But the clincher was Boston. I couldn't help noticing that when I was hooking up with that girl, Maria… no, Margaurite?... Mirabelle?..."_

" _Amanda?"_

" _Yeah, her." Hikaru's hand flicked in the air like he was brushing away a fly. "While I was getting busy with her, you spent most of your time with Brandon from the apartment next door instead of whichever girl you were allegedly dating."_

" _Hika." Kaoru's voice dripped with disdain. "You do realize that just because you hang out with someone who's gay that doesn't make you gay too."_

 _Hikaru stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to glare bemusedly at his brother. "Kao – I saw the hickeys he gave you."_

" _Okay." Kaoru could feel a blush rising up the back of his neck which probably matched his hair. "I guess_ that _was a dead give-away." He quickened his steps to outrun his brother's amusement and pretty soon they reached the door to the restaurant._

 _The popular neighborhood joint serving up good food at cheap prices was crowded and they crammed into the small entry way to wait for a table to free up. Ignoring stares and excited whispers from some of the single (and not so single) women around them, they huddled as close up against the wall as they could._

" _So," said Kaoru once the party of four taking up most of the space had been seated and they could breathe, "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"_

 _Hikaru's shoulders rose up to his ears and dropped. "I just… guessed if it was something you weren't ready to tell_ me _yet then you were still working things out."_

" _That is… surprisingly sensitive of you."_

" _Well, I am the older brother after all. It's my job to look out for you." Kaoru smiled, but before he could fully appreciate the warm comfort of_ real _brotherly love, Hikaru's eyes lit up with devilish glee. "Hey! I just realized – this will totally distract Mom away from digging up another potential daughter-in-law to throw at me. She's been scraping the bottom of the barrel but now there's a ton of friend's sons she can throw at_ you!" _Sticking his arm straight out, he gave Kaoru a thumbs up. "Good job, little bro!_ "

 _~oOoOo~_

"Maybe this blind date will be a good thing." Hikaru's voice brought Kaoru crashing back into the present. "You desperately need to get laid." Deciding the jar of moisturizer he held in his hand met his standards, he began working some into his face. "Carlos is doing the shoot and that hot assistant of his – Naomi? Natalie? Nina?"

"Danielle?"

"Yeah, her." Hikaru's dismissive wave demonstrated just how inconsequential she was. "I'll take her out tonight so you can bring Mom's future son-in-law back to the house and get your freak on."

Hikaru never brought a girl back to their shared brownstone on the Lower East Side. Not once. He didn't care enough about any of them to let them know where he lived.

Kaoru shut off the spray and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. "I do not need to get laid."

He totally needed to get laid.

But, if all he wanted was a sweaty bout between the sheets to relieve his stress, then he didn't need to go on a date. And he definitely didn't need to go on one arranged by his _mother_. He was young, rich, good-looking, an amazing lover (at least, according to all those who wanted a repeat), and had rap stars wearing his clothes. If he only wanted casual, he could have his pick.

Even in New York, whatever subsection of the gay community you occupied tended to be small and insular. There were few eligible men in the fashion world or at the bars he frequented that he hadn't already met, dated, and/or slept with. He'd always left them satisfied and on friendly terms - even his break-ups had been amiable. There might even be one (or more) of his ex-relationships/hook-ups at the shoot today and it was unlikely they'd turn down a chance for some fun.

If he were honest with himself, he was becoming tired of all that. One-night stands and friends-with-benefits satisfied his physical needs but, lately, it left him feeling like he'd eaten too much junk food. He was growing dissatisfied with the status-quo.

Maybe it had been Honey's wedding the past summer that caused it. When the baby-faced senior said his vows, there had been a look in his eyes as he gazed at Reiko that struck Kaoru like an arrow to the chest. It sparked a feeling of envy, of a desire for something _more_ , so deep it flirted with bitterness.

He'd kept all of this to himself, no matter how many times he wished he could discuss it with his twin, his only true confidant. But Haruhi's absence had ripped a hole in Hikaru's heart - one he kept trying to fill with an endless round of women whose names he never remembered. A part of Kaoru was always afraid the wrong word, the wrong topic, would send his brother back into the pit he'd tried to bury himself in after _tono's_ death.

Sometimes, he wished he could hate the woman he'd once considered his second best friend. Wished he could write her off and hope her dead. But he knew her too well - Haruhi would never have left if she hadn't needed to. Wouldn't stay gone if she didn't need to still.

Bumping his brother away from the sink with his hip, Kaoru began the morning routine of shaving, teeth brushing, and so on that would take him from merely handsome to model-worthy. "Is sex your answer to everything?"

"Do I even need to answer that?" Hikaru started hyper-actively digging through the cabinet drawers to Kaoru's right. "So, who is this dude, anyway?"

"Geez, Hika – leave my stuff alone, will ya?" With a few quick movements, Kaoru styled his hair to look exactly like the man standing next to him leaving out the product so the stylist had a clean base to work off of. Dropping the towel in the laundry basket, he headed back into his room. "I didn't really listen when Mom called about it. Some son or nephew or cousin or something of one of her frenemies."

"Another designer brat?" Hikaru shuddered dramatically. "Lucky you – too bad they aren't all awesome, creative geniuses like us."

Kaoru huffed an agreement. Most of the children of his mother's colleagues fell into two categories – trust fund kids with no ambition or, worse, businessmen who could only monetize art not create it. But then, who could blame them when most of the old brands were starting to slip from family control? It took a lot of balls to go off on your own like he and Hikaru had done. The likelihood that his mother's latest find would be someone he could respect, maybe even admire, was pretty low.

Still, he thought wistfully, it would be nice if this date could turn into something more.

Not that he had time for that sort of thing.

"Promise you'll give me the 'bad date rescue' call in case it's a horror show." he demanded of his brother.

Hikaru held up his fingers in a Boy Scout salute. "Thirty minutes in, just like always."

Kaoru slipped on a pair of black skinny jeans, a gray long-sleeved t-shirt covered by an aesthetically-ripped white short-sleeved hoodie, and red converse. Linking arms with his twin, they checked out their dual images in the mirror on the closet door. As one, their faces lit up with a hint of devilish glee at the sight neither one had seen in nearly three years – two men, side-by-side, absolutely identical in every visual aspect.

Only she-who-must-not-be-named would have been able to tell the difference.

~oOoOo~

"Darling boys." Yuzuha Hiitachin floated over to them in a swirl of perfume and bangly jewelry. The layers of brightly colored trinkets perfectly accented the staid, but comfortable, black turtleneck, taupe wide-legged pants, and black ankle boots she wore for a busy day on her feet. She gave both of them a hug and a European kiss on each cheek. "The entire crew is excited about the return of the legendary Hitachiin Twins. Thank you so much for doing this."

"You mean we had a choice?" asked Kaoru, "Great, I have a ton to do so I'm out." His journey to the door was stopped by Hikaru's choke-hold around his neck.

"Oh, Hikaru." Yuzuha patted Kaoru on the cheek. "Such a prankster." Turning to Hikaru, she asked, "And how are preparations for your show? The sophomore effort is the hardest, especially following a spectacular debut."

"Going great," Hikaru replied, "But I could really use a break. This date you set up will be the perfect way to relax."

The twins' mother clapped her hands together. "I'm so glad you're looking forward to it. You'll love him – adorable boy and soooo talented. Now," she said brusquely, slipping from the role of mom to designer, "The other models are already here so go get ready." She gestured towards the right wall of the main studio space. "Hair and makeup is second door on the right, they're waiting for you."

Knowing better than to ire her when she was in her professional mode, they obediently did as instructed. As soon as they were out of earshot, Kaoru punched Hikaru in the ribs. "Ass! Now I _have_ to go to that date. She's going to call me tomorrow to ask how it went!"

"Just looking out for my younger brother." Hikaru smirked and opened the door of the makeup area, standing aside for his brother to enter first. "You. Bone. Need to."

"I do _not_ need to bone," Kaoru whispered furiously, not wanting the people already in the room to overhear. There were two of them – one male, one female – both with their backs to the door as they lined the tools of their trade on waist-high counters.

" _Ciao,_ you must be Kaoru and Hikaru." The man said in an Italian accent that hit Kaoru's ears like a warm cup of cappuccino. "I am Stefan and this is my assistant, Natasha." Setting the makeup brush in his hand down, he turned to welcome the twins with a smile.

Kaoru stopped dead in his tracks.

Holy fuck.

Shit.

Dear sweet Buddha.

He. Was. Gorgeous.

Only an inch or two shorter than the twins, the lead makeup artist had a muscular build that was more lean than bulky. The light-gray t-shirt clinging to his torso like it was paint left nothing to the imagination - his abs might not be Mori-level, but they were damn close. An artfully disheveled mess of brown, curly hair framed a strong jaw line, patrician nose, gentle eyes, and full lips.

Taken together, he looked like Michelangelo's David sprung to life.

Beside him, Kaoru heard Hikaru's snigger and knew that he must be gaping like a fish. Thank god Stefan hadn't seemed to notice - he'd turned back around to fiddle with some of the items on the counter, revealing a denim-covered ass that was nothing short of amazing.

"Alright, _bei ragazzi_ , let's have Hikaru with Natasha." Stefan pointed to the chair on his left which his assistant stood next to. Kaoru was too transfixed by her boss to notice more than blue-purple hair plaited back in a braid, ripped jeans, and a classic rock t-shirt. "And Kaoru, you're with me."

Not knowing quite why he did it, Kaoru went to sit down in the chair on the right.

Quirking his head at the younger twin, the makeup artist gave a faint smile. "Natasha, switch with me," he ordered and moved to stand next to the chair Kaoru occupied. The young woman just shrugged and took the place her boss had vacated as Hikaru sat down.

Stefan stood in front of Kaoru and leaned forward, scrutinizing the face he'd be working on. Kaoru fought to keep his breath from catching. Oh lord, his eyes! So beautiful – blue, but not the common type, all ice-sharp and pale. These were so dark they were almost gray. Like the sea on a stormy day.

"Good. Good," the Italian muttered to himself. With a look proclaiming his satisfaction with whatever course of direction he'd decided on, he stood back aright and gave a curt nod. "Hair first," he instructed his assistant. Switching to address the twins, he explained what had been decided on. "We'll do a modern pompadour for the winter formal line. A good complement to the classic military cuts, no?"

Grabbing a spray bottle off the counter, Stefan wet down Karou's hair and then blew it dry using a round brush to sweep it back off his face while Natasha duplicated the process for the other Hitachiin. The noise from the blow dryers inhibited conversation and Kaoru was grateful for the chance to regain his equilibrium.

After the quick style, Stefan scooped some pomade from a jar and rubbed it on his hands. With efficient, experienced strokes he worked the product through the younger twin's red locks. Kaoru's eyes closed of their own volition, every nerve on his head sending little tingling sensations through his body. This guy's fingers were magic – strong, firm, with a gentle touch that had his imagination picturing them running elsewhere on his body.

Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Kaoru desperately tried to distract his lower anatomy from the fact that his hair was being caressed by a living Renaissance sculpture. "I haven't seen you around before, have you worked with my mother long."

"Mmmm… six, seven years or so. But not on this side of the camera." Finishing distributing the pomade, Stefan moved back around to the front of the chair to style the front with a comb. "Natasha," he said without taking his eyes of Kaoru, "Sweep slightly to the left like this. You have the part going too much towards the right."

Natasha grunted in acknowledgement.

"So, you were, what – a model?" Kaoru asked. He justified his curiosity by reasoning that if this guy was skilled enough for his mother's ad campaign then he might be a good resource for Kaoru as well.

" _Si_ , since I was seventeen. Same age you were when the first 'dopelganger' ad campaign was launched, no?" Stefan placed the comb down and began the process of prepping his model's face for makeup. "I mostly did runway for Yuzuha – Milan, Paris, London. A little print work for her too, but nothing on your scale." When done cleaning Kaoru's skin, Stefan dotted some picked up a tube containing flesh-colored liquid and dotted a blob on the back of his hand then mixed in a few other tones until he had one he liked. "I quit two years ago and apprenticed under my uncle, Gianmarco Tomaino. You know him?"

"Yeah, I've… heard of him," Kaoru choked out. Tomaino was one of the most sought after makeup gurus in the industry. If your brand hadn't achieved the status of having household name recognition, he wouldn't even put you on his wait-list.

Using a butterfly-light touch, Stefan smoothed his custom mixed concealer under Kaoru's eyes. "After finishing that I decided to, what is the term… 'fly solo?'" He waited on Kaoru to nod a confirmation before continuing, "I moved to New York last September. Your mother, she is very generous to give me this opportunity."

"Why the career change?" Male models didn't age as quickly as female and, from what Kaoru could see, Stefan was nowhere close to being past his prime.

"This is more fun, no?" His smile widened to a boyish grin that plunged Karou's heart into free fall. "I like being the artist instead of the art." Holding Kaoru's chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tilted the Hiitachiin twin's head left and right. When done, he gave an appraising glance at Hikaru in the next seat. "Amazing skin. No foundation, I think. Just powder for the first look."

Natasha merely grunted again. Kaoru was becoming distressingly aware that the other two occupants of the room had barely said a word – their ears too intent on listening to his and Stefan's conversation.

Stefan tapped a makeup brush against the back of his hand to dislodge excess powder and started sweeping it over Kaoru's face. "But you understand the desire to create, no? Designing the clothes instead of wearing them."

Kaoru's locked his face into an impassivity worthy of Kyoya. "Sorry, I'm Hikaru."

The Italian raised one eyebrow and his lips twitched up in amusement. "Your brother's game design is very creative too, but you? Your work?" He brought his fingertips to his lips and kissed them. "Brilliant."

Kaoru felt like someone had hit him over the head with a brick. He couldn't tell if it was astonishment that Stefan had guessed which twin wasn't Hikaru or happiness that the Italian liked his work.

Without looking, Stefan reached back and grabbed a thin tube of translucent mascara. "Kaoru, you should blink please. Your eyes will water and ruin the concealer."

Realizing he'd been staring like a tourist in Times Square, Kaoru forced his eyes to shut and open.

"Now," Stefan ordered, "Look down and to my right." A few quick but perfectly placed strokes with the wand later, he stood back and beamed. "Perfect. You're all done - wardrobe is waiting for you next door."

Kaoru stood, still slightly dazed and a little uncertain as to whether he could exit the room without walking into something. As he turned to leave, Stefan's voice called him back. "Ah, one more thing."

The Italian lifted his hand to Kaoru's lips, and slowly ran his thumb across them. Roughened flesh scraped against sensitive nerves, sending ripples of pleasure coursing straight to Kaoru's brain and his lips parted of their own volition in an unmistakable invitation. Every bump, every groove of the callused skin imprinted itself on the entrance to his mouth like a brand. When he was done, Stefan dropped one eye in a lazy, sensual wink. "Sorry, forgot the lip balm."

Holy fuck!

~oOoOo~

"Sooooo, you and the makeup guy, huh?"

Kaoru glared at his brother from the corner of his eyes and piled three tiny _carne asada_ tacos on his plate. Their mom, the dragon, had finally allowed them a break after four hours involving multiple costume changes but no new hair or makeup. He tamped down his sense of disappointment about that. "Shut. Up."

Hikaru's smirk broadened to a grin and he popped another mini-BLT-on-an-English-muffin into his mouth. It had to be his twelfth. "Haven't seen you so worked up over a guy since Jamie."

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "How is it you still know every one of my boyfriends' names but can't even remember the name of the girl whose pants you're trying to get into?"

"Because not even she…" He jerked his head in the direction of Danielle. "…cares if I know her name? You know I don't hang with the ones who want anything more than to play around." He chomped on his thirteenth BLT. "Well, if tall, dark, and Italian really _isn't_ getting your juices flowing there's always Carlos' _other_ hot assistant. I'm sure he'd go for you - he was checking my ass out earlier."

Kaoru's eyes flickered towards an incredibly well-built, African-American man with a shaved head and eyes like warm molasses. He was another new face, another possibility, but Kaoru simply couldn't fix his interest in that direction today. He scowled, not happy with the implication. "Hika, stop trying to set me up. It's bad enough dealing with Mom."

"Whatever." Hikaru shrugged. "But Natasha and I have a bet going on which of you jumps the other first so if you change your mind, I want the inside track."

Kaoru rolled his eyes at the fact that the only woman here whose name Hikaru knew was the one who'd expressed zero interest in him. Shaking his head, he walked away from his brother and spent the remainder of the break networking and trying not to think about curly brown hair, blue eyes, and an accent as warm as the Tuscan sun.

After twenty minutes, his mother imperiously summoned everyone back to work. Out of perverseness, the brothers wordlessly exchanged the places they'd been in before the break with Kaoru moving to stand at the head of the female model draped over the red chaise lounge and Hikaru at her feet.

Carlos took several shots, calling them by the wrong names the whole time. When he called a quick halt so he and Yuzuha could review the images, the makeup artists descended on the trio. Stefan, as lead artist, took on the more complicated role of making sure the center model's makeup was in a photo-ready state. His eyes flickered to the twins on either side, assessing what work they needed. "Natasha, Hikaru's concealer needs refreshing." The blue-haired woman headed towards Kaoru. "No, not him – the other one."

Over the head of the female model, the brothers shared a look.

Declaring her satisfaction with the first round of photos, Yuzuha sent the brothers off for a change in style. This time, not even Natasha could mistake who was who as each had their locks, artfully disheveled to match the youthful tone of their mother's athletic wear line, parted to one side – Hikaru's on the right and Kaoru's on the left. The makeup was different as well, heavier and more dramatic, which meant more time in the chair with Stefan gliding his marvelous fingers across Kaoru's skin. This time, there was no talking - the two pairs of ears attentively listening next to him inhibited conversation.

Another five long hours and innumerable costume changes later, they were finally done. But only for today. The full shoot would take two more days and three more locations. After hugging their mother goodbye, they did the usual round of 'great jobs' and 'see you tomorrows' with everyone else - Hikaru even shook hands with Natasha.

Stefan, though, was nowhere to be found.

Not that Kaoru was looking.

As they reached the door to the street, Kaoru stopped and patted his coat pockets. "Hika, you go on home. I left my cell phone back upstairs."

"I could hold the Uber."

"Ah.. no, that's okay. I'll find my own way home." Hikaru's knowing smirk was something Kaoru chose not to deal with.

On the way back upstairs, he stopped in the bathroom and ran his fingers through his hair, changing the part to the other side. Staring at his reflection, he wondered why the hell he was doing this. He'd left childish tricks behind him a long time ago.

But he didn't change his hair back.

Slipping quietly back into the makeup room, Kaoru's eyes gravitated immediately to its only occupant. Stefan had his back to the door again, his attention focused on packing away his materials. Lifting his head at the sound of the door closing, he turned to look over his shoulder and their eyes locked.

"Kaoru, I thought you had left?" The soft lilt at the end hinted at a question.

"Forgot my phone." Walking up alongside the other man, he reached past him to pick up the iPhone which had been deliberately left on the makeup station counter. "And I'm Hikaru."

"No," Stefan angled his body towards Kaoru, resting his hip on the counter. "You're not."

Kaoru stared at the phone in his hands. "How do you know?" It came out barely above a whisper.

Stefan leaned forward until his lips were almost brushing Kaoru's ear. "Because, when I look at your brother, I don't want him to fuck me." Without thinking, Kaoru's body turned into the invitation. The Italian's eyes lit up at the implied acceptance and his lips parted in a teasing grin. "But only if you buy me dinner first. I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy."

Kaoru opened his mouth, the 'yes' on his tongue unexpectedly turning into a sigh. "I'm… sorry, but I have this thing tonight I have to do."

Stefan shrugged and turned away. "Pity. We could have had some fun." He resumed packing his makeup case and Kaoru's shoulders slumped with dismay. No suggestion of another time. No offer of a phone number. Despite the off-the-charts chemistry between them, Stefan was just another guy looking for a no-strings-attached good time.

With a half-hearted 'see you tomorrow,' Kaoru headed home to get ready for his date.

~oOoOo~

Two hours later, Kaoru stood on a sidewalk in West Harlem looking at the restaurant he was meeting his parental-approved date at. Upscale Italian. Great. Not his favorite food to eat anywhere outside of the nation that produced it. He needed to get into a better mood – it wasn't his unknown date's fault that familial duty had forced him to turn down an offer he had regretted not accepting the minute the door had closed behind him.

His heart might not be in this, but he would do his best. He'd even put extra effort into his outfit as a sign of his resolve. The white, drape-collared shirt, black stretch dress pants and black motorcycle boots were carefully selected to be trendy enough to be appropriate for any restaurant in the city which didn't require a jacket and tie. And he wouldn't be caught dead in one of those. Not even for his mother.

Nervousness didn't set in until he got inside. The worst part of a blind date was that little bubble of hope at the start. The wish that _this_ one, despite all evidence and expectations to the contrary, would be different. Refusing the hostess' offer to take his coat, he chose to hold the dark-grey, military coat in his arms instead. The faster to make a quick getaway if required. Gods, he should have asked for a picture. Or at least a name. What if the 'adorable boy' was boring? Or ugly? Or…

Or sitting right over there.

At a table set for two in the dead center of the restaurant sat a man with the eyes of the sea and the body of Adonis. As if sensing Kaoru's gaze, Stefan looked up from his menu and wiggled his fingers in a wave. He had also changed out of work attire. A pair of black rimmed glasses perched on his aquiline nose and gave his charcoal-gray cashmere turtleneck, white chinos, and dark gray camo-patterned blazer a 'university professor meets army commando' flair. The look hit every one of Karou's buttons - he'd always had a thing for _megane._

"You wear glasses?" Kaoru asked, slipping into the seat opposite him.

"They're real." Stefan tapped the side of them with his finger. "After a long day, my eyes get tired and I have to take out my contacts."

Kaoru chuckled. "This isn't one big coincidence, is it?"

Stefan smothered a snort. "Yuzuha she is… whimsical, _si?_ "

"That's one way of putting it," Kaoru snarked. It hadn't been their father who the twins had inherited their 'little devil' nature from.

The waiter came by with a second menu and to solicit their cocktail orders, which both men deferred. Kaoru studied his menu as if he'd be tested on it. Faced with the guy he'd been lusting after all day, he felt more apprehensive than excited. The intimacy of a first date could sometimes be harder to deal with if it was a person you already knew. There was nothing here to distract them, nothing they could use to cover awkward pauses. No way to pretend they weren't looking at each other with a seriousness that couldn't be easily dismissed.

The pressure to connect under these circumstances as easily as they had earlier appeared to be making Stefan equally as tongue-tied. It didn't help that the restaurant had that quiet formality cultivated by places which made their bread-and-butter off people celebrating birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. An atmosphere better suited to an established couple and not one that hadn't even started.

Maybe he shouldn't have turned down that drink.

"Hey." Stefan broke the silence and leaned forward, his eyes twinkling with a conspiratorial charm. "No offense to your mother, but I hate Italian restaurants. Not even the best chef is a better cook than my _nonna._ Want to, what is the phrase – 'make a break for it?' I know a great East African place nearby."

Kaoru's tension fled. "Oh, hell yeah. Let's go."

~oOoOo~

"Oh man, this is incredible." Kaoru closed his eyes to better appreciate the explosion of taste roiling over his tongue. "What did you call it again?" Never having eaten this type of cuisine before, Kaoru had asked his foodie companion to order on both their behalf. An array of dishes ranging from familiar (thin rounds of flat bread layered together in a stack) to the exotic (a giant white glob that resembled sculptured cottage cheese).

" _Ndizi na Nyama -_ basically beef and plantains. I'm glad you like it."

The change of venue had been the right call. Both of them had been able to relax enough to start having the typical 'first date' conversation during the walk to the restaurant and while waiting for their food. They covered the full gauntlet - favorite TV shows, movies, designers, things to read. Kaoru entertained Stefan with stories about his high school adventures. Stefan reciprocated with the exploits of him and his seven brothers and sisters, eighteen aunts and uncles, and enough cousins to form their own village.

And, even though the joint looked like a roach was going to scurry across the floor at any moment, the food was amazing.

Now that they'd broken the 'awkward first date' ice, Kaoru circled back to something that had bugged him since he'd walked into the first restaurant. "If you knew the date was with me, why didn't you say so at the shoot?"

"I wanted to meet you first. Without the whole…" Stefan made desultory circles in the air with his hand. "…date thing."

Lifting his beer up for a sip, Kaoru lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile. "Were you planning on standing me up if you didn't like what you found?"

Stefan's eyes widened. "Ah, no… not at all. I…" He half-collapsed on to the table, running his hands through his hair. The resulting mess made him look even more attractive. "Ok. Ok. Truth? I was nervous. I've had a bit of a crush on you for a while."

"Crush? Really?" Kaoru winced inwardly. So far, everything about Stefan was appealing. He was talented, driven, intelligent, funny and possessed both a quiet self-confidence and a hint of shyness. But none of that would matter if he was just another fanboi attracted to the 'designer' or the 'model.'

"Ah… you maybe would not remember. We met once. A long time ago, in Milan." Stefan's prior confident mien was morphing into a kind of geeky earnestness that was utterly adorable. "You were twelve? Maybe thirteen?"

"Milan, huh. I sort of remember that." Kaoru's unease turned to interest in where Stefan's tale was headed. "It was summer, first year middle school so we must have been thirteen. After we'd driven off the fifth nanny in two weeks, Mom decided we needed more 'direct supervision.'" He wrinkled his face apologetically. "I don't remember you though, sorry."

Stefan waved it away. "You wouldn't. I spent most of my time hiding in corners and reading back then. I was fifteen and obsessed with fashion. Aunt Marta, she was an editor for Italian Vogue, planned a shoot featuring all the premiere Asian designers. I whined and begged and pleaded until she allowed me to come."

"Was that the one with the bitchy supermodel?"

"The one who called you two a pair of little shits when your mother couldn't hear? _Si._ " Stefan's shoulders began shaking with remembered mirth. "And then, as revenge, you snuck into the storage room, let her nasty little bichon frise out of its cage, and tempted it out into the studio with a piece of prosciutto where..."

When Stefan collapsed, laughing too hard to continue, Kaoru fought through his own guffaws to pick up the story "…Where it jumped on the catering table, devoured the sandwiches, pissed on the shrimp skewers, and started humping the coffee urn!" He laughed at the memory until he had to wipe away tears from his eyes. "Oh, man. I'd almost forgotten that. Geez, Hika and I were little brats back then."

"No, she deserved it – my whole family is in the Industry and have worked with her at one point or another. _Madre di Dio,_ the stories I could tell!" Nostalgia softened Stefan's face as he peered up at his dining companion under lowered lashes. "But what I remember most from that shoot was that the entire time, I couldn't stop watching you."

"How did you know you it was _me_ you were watching?" Kaoru kept his tone light, hiding just how much the answer meant to him.

Stefan's shoulders lifted in a Latinesque shrug. "Because I could see it, that the two of you weren't the same. Your brother… sometimes he would watch what was going on but most of the time it was clear that he was bored. Then he would come up with some mischief for the both of you to get into." Stefan's sea-blue eyes warmed from stormy to the color of the Mediterranean on a cloudless day. "You, though? You drank it all in. Every part of it fascinated you – the clothes, the hair and makeup, the poses the model and photographer chose. Even back then I could see it in you. That passion to create. To take something that exists only in your mind and give it life. And I just knew that someday… Someday you would be amazing." He lifted his beer in a silent toast. "And I was right."

~oOoOo~

They talked for hours, only leaving when a tiny, octogenarian woman emerged from the kitchen and unleashed a torrent of Swahili on one of the hapless waiters. He politely, but firmly, ushered them out, apologizing the whole time. Questions about how Stefan knew about the restaurant revealed he lived in the neighborhood so it was only natural that Kaoru should walk him home. Two years of intense training from Tamaki on how to be a gentleman demanded it.

When they reached the front stoop of Stefan's Empire style apartment house, the brunette lingered, not making a single move to go in. Unwillingness for the evening to end was writ on every part of his face. Placing one foot on the bottom step, he leaned back against the wrought iron railing, indecision shadowing his lovely, lovely eyes. Realization dawned on Kaoru that all his companion's self-assurance had been used up over the course of the evening and now his natural shyness was reasserting itself. The only way what they had between them would go anywhere was if Kaoru took the lead.

He didn't have time to date. Certainly not to date _seriously_. There was the upcoming show, and then others in London and Tokyo, a month long trip to China in the summer to talk to his manufacturers and, after all that was done, the whole round started over again. Even if he wanted… whatever this was or could be… his life would be a lot less complicated if he walked away. He was only twenty-two, there was plenty of time to find love when he was older.

But time was a precious gift that could be taken away without notice. That knowledge had been burned into his soul on a hot August day three years ago.

Gripping the railing to either side of his date, Kaoru caged Stefan between his arms. This close, his slight advantage in height had more of an impact. "Friday, nine-pm," he said with a tone light enough to turn it from an order to an invitation. "We'll have some drinks and go dancing."

Stefan's eyes flared with desire. The tip of his tongue darted out, tauntingly, to lick his lips and his Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to swallow. Kaoru wanted to press his lips against it. And then lick his way over to nip the thick cord of muscle running along the side of Stefan's neck.

"O…Or…" Stefan stammered, "You could come up? We could watch a movie?"

Both men knew they wouldn't be watching a movie.

Every part of Kaoru's body yearned to accept the offer. But… he liked this guy. Really, really liked him. And he sure as hell didn't want to risk turning something that could be magical into just a long-winded hook-up.

Lifting his hand, Kaoru trailed his fingers along Stefan's hairline. "You have no idea how tempting that offer is." Curling his fingers around Stefan's nape, he closed the distance between them, fitting their bodies together as he captured the Italian's lips with his own. He took his time, luxuriating in the taste of full, soft lips. In the pliant way Stefan's mouth opened beneath him, inviting Kaoru's tongue inside to dance. In the sense of strength kept on a leash. Of control ceded but not abandoned.

Gods, even his kiss was perfect.

Reluctantly, Kaoru broke the kiss and stepped back. "Whatever this thing we have is, I think it could be something great. I don't want to jeopardize it by going too fast. So tonight… _tonight_ I don't want to come up."

He wasn't making any promises about restraining himself after Friday's date. He doubted he'd be able to keep them.

Stefan's hands held the railing behind him in a death grip, his chest heaving unsteadily and his breath coming out in pants, but he managed to pull himself together enough to manage a shaky nod.

A flurry of emotions raced through Kaoru - excitement, nervousness, desire, happiness - but dominating all of that was anticipation. A burst of optimism that the loneliness he'd had, the one that couldn't be filled by friends or family, might finally be satisfied. He ran the backs of his fingers over Stefan's cheek. "I'll pick you up at nine then. Until then…" Kaoru unleashed a more mature version of the smile which had once sparked the sexual awakening of more than one over-privileged teenage girl. "I hope you dream of me like I'll be dreaming of you."

~oOoOo~

 _ **One year later, another January**_

"Hika?"

"Hmm?" Hikaru's attention was fixated on his phone, thumbs flying to answer the steady stream of work emails that demanded his attention.

Kaoru sat down on the sofa next to him, hoping physical closeness would help soften any feelings of betrayal. "So… Stefan wants us to live together."

"About time. When do you want me to move out?" Hikaru's thumbs didn't even stutter.

"Uh… that's…" Kaoru shook his head. Hikaru's random acts of maturity never ceased to blindside him. "That's not necessary. This place is right across the bridge from your company, we're thinking of getting someplace closer to mine. Maybe Chelsea or Hell's Kitchen."

Hikaru shrugged and kept typing. "Cool."

"Hika?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

Hikaru finally looked up from his phone. "Of course, you love me." Bemusement livened up his eyes and softened his expression. "I'm the best Onii-san ever!"

Kaoru said nothing – it was hard to argue with the truth.


End file.
